Have you ever had the feeling that men seem to be a bit wary of approaching you? Well, that could be because you are giving out the wrong signals.

It is true that men do find successful and confident women attractive, but if you overdo the power image, you might put guys off. You may be a successful CEO, or big city lawyer in the day, and a man will admire you for that, but he will still want to see your feminine side when you are out together or at home.

Men are not intimidated by success, but they do want to feel like the man in a relationship. Here are ten things that you might be doing that could intimidate a guy.

1. Not letting him be a gentleman

If you are a leader at work, it can difficult to let that go in the evenings, but try not to take the lead all the time when you are out with a man. Let him order the wine, open doors for you, and hail the cab. It’s not a sign of weakness to let the man take the lead, but it is the role that he will be expecting to take. He knows that you are quite capable of managing on your own, but he wants to do things the right way for you.

2. Not making the relationships a priority

Men will find it intimidating, and very annoying, if you never seem to have any time for them. He doesn’t want to feel that he will always be in second place to your work schedule, and he doesn’t want to be slotted into a ‘window’ in your diary. It’s important for both people in a relationship to make that relationship a priority.

3. Power dressing for a date

What you wear on a date can make a man feel out of place and uncomfortable. What you wear in the boardroom is probably not all that suitable for a date, so don’t go straight out from work, go home first and change into something more feminine and appealing.

4. Being a perfectionist

Being a perfectionist can get you places, but it can also be very off putting for a man if you bring that perfectionism to every aspect of your life. It will make it appear that nothing is good enough for you, including the guy you are with. You may demand perfection in your job, but be a little more relaxed when you are out, or men will steer clear of you because they will assume that they are just not good enough to meet your high standards.

5. Talking too much about work

Let’s be honest, talking about work all night long is going to be boring at the best of times, but if you are in a job that a guy knows nothing about at all, he is going to feel bored and inadequate. Unless the guy is in the same business as you and he is genuinely interested, leave all the talk about what’s happening in the financial markets for when you are at work.

6. Being too confrontational

If you have a naturally assertive demeanour about you, try and tone that down when you go on dates. There is nothing wrong with asserting yourself when you need to, but don’t get into unnecessary fights with people, like waiting staff at restaurants. If the service wasn’t all that great, don’t make a big scene about it, especially, if it was your date that chose the restaurant.

7. Not letting your guard down

Men will also find you intimidating if they get the feeling that they are not getting to know the real you. Relax, get comfortable, and be prepared to let your guard down. Dates are supposed to be fun and a chance to get to know each other better. Neither of those things will happen if you are letting your hard exterior hide the real person underneath.

8. You look unapproachable

You might need to check your body language too, and make sure that the way you stand and hold yourself is not telling men to go away. If you adopt a masculine looking, aggressive looking stance, you will intimidate many men and, if you stand with your arms folded across your chest, you will look like you don’t want to be approached. Try to relax, put a smile on your face, and look like you actually want to talk to people.

9. You are too argumentative

If you are a person who likes to win an argument, then hold back on that trait when you are on a date. Proving that your date is completely wrong about something is hardly going to endear you to him, so let it go, and don’t try to hammer the point home too hard if you are right.

10. Not smiling enough

If you want to make a guy feel comfortable and not be intimidated by you, then smile. A smile is attractive and welcoming and it tells the guy that you are happy to be in his company. If you keep a stern face all night long, he’s going to be wondering what he did wrong.

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